Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

You have seen the signs, under construction, watch for ice on bridge, workman ahead, detour and the like, right? Do you also understand that they only have relevant meaning to the driver of the car? Everyone in the car is at risk, but it is the driver’s responsibility to avoid the danger.

I love those “watch for ice on bridge” signs. They are there in the 110 degree drought and hold no real meaning ninety-nine percent of the time. They are meaningful only when the conditions are right. As a literalist, my humor (or lack thereof), tends to mock those signs. “How long do I have to watch for ice on the bridge in this heat?” My favorite is “reduced speed ahead”. How much do they usually charge?

Perhaps that is a good example of the uncircumcised ear. Our flesh makes light of warnings and do not take them as seriously as we should. Like the ice bridge, it might not apply now, but given the right conditions, danger is upon you; may it not come unawares. We have been warned.

Which words of warning hold the most significance? How about heresy, blasphemy, and apostasy? Do the mere sounds of those words scream danger to you? If so, why? Is your understanding of their true meaning a danger as obvious as a “One Way” sign? Or have others used them in a way that is more likened to a rattlesnake’s rattle, don’t come near?

Or perhaps, just perhaps, they only have relevant meaning under the proper conditions. So, it is not just the meaning of words that hold danger at bay, but the proper conditions also. To understand danger one must know both the meaning and conditions or else you are merely afraid of words.

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

To continue on from yesterday, once again, what does God expect of you? The question gets asked and answered so many times in so many ways, I begin to doubt if man is capable of truly understanding God’s will. Obviously there is command will, all those things which God lays out for us in “thou shalt” instructions. How well does keeping the law work for you?

No matter how hard I try I fall short of perfection. Even in loving others I know I can do better, I just don’t. Grace is extended, thank you very much. Mercy is shown, thank you very much. Forgiveness is found, thank you very much. Therein I find God picking up the broken pieces of my failed life, over and over again.

If you want to take the position that Habakkuk is talking about an Old Testament position, then why does he use a New Testament expression of faith? Is it because the issue of faith hasn’t changed since Abram first believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness? My soul is flesh it cannot in this present state stand on its own. Even lifted up, it is not upright. Thank God He has quickened our Spirit so that there is something in us that is upright.

Let me put Galatians 2:20 in more contemporary language: Christ does not want us to live His live, He wants to live ours. That is the great mystery that the Jews rejected and still deny today. The indwelling of Christ, being born of the Spirit, being given everything with which our souls, which are still ours, can live according to God’s will.

Live by faith. This is God’s will.